HTC Working On Thinner, Faster Flyer 2 Android Tablet?

After a bit of a hiatus, it looks like HTC might be about to get back in the tablet game. Last week, we got a look at a few leaked images that supposedly showed-off a new Android tablet under development by the manufacturer. It was an unusual design, and looked almost like a convertible laptop screen with its large bezel on only one edge. That device appeared to be up near the 10-inch range, but today we heard that HTC may also be working on something a bit smaller, as a follow-up to the seven-inch Flyer (above).

The so-called Flyer 2 would reportedly get a small resolution bump up to 1280 x 768. The camera, oddly, seems to be getting downgraded, moving from a 5/1.3-megapixel front/back arrangement to just three megapixels around back and one up front; that may be a cost-reducing decision. While the first Flyer was a bulky 13.2 millimeters thick, the Flyer 2 is said to shrink things down to just 7.1 millimeters, a nearly-fifty-percent reduction in thickness. The tablet’s body itself may be constructed out of anodized aluminum this time around.

The Flyer 2 would supposedly arrive running a Snapdragon S4, presumably around 1.5GHz, and have Jelly Bean out of the box. There’s no word on just when it might land, but HTC could end up revealing that at its press event later this month, assuming these rumors are at least somewhat accurate.

Stephen has been writing about electronics since 2008, which only serves to frustrate him that he waited so long to combine his love of gadgets and his degree in writing. In his spare time, he collects console and arcade game hardware, is a motorcycle enthusiast, and enjoys trapping blue crabs. Stephen's first mobile device was a 624 MHz Dell Axim X30, which he's convinced is still a viable platform. Stephen longs for a market where phones are sold independently of service, and bandwidth is cheap and plentiful; he's not holding his breath. In the meantime, he devours smartphone news and tries to sort out the juicy bitsRead more about Stephen Schenck!